A: Accident causation is a complex
process. But generally these are caused due to Unsafe
Acts and Unsafe
conditions .
A combination
of factors at the same moment may lead to accident causing injury or
persons may escape without any injury.

Q.4. Should the DGMS not be made
to account for the accidents in mines?

A: Working the mines, obtaining mineral
and ensuring protection of their Human Resource is primarily the management
functions. Management makes necessary provisions for the purpose keeping
in view the profitability of operations and statutory provisions in
this regard. Just as profits from the operations go to the managements,
any consequences in the process including accidents must also be the
responsibility of the management.

Q.5. Why DGMS should also not be
held responsible for accidents?

A: As an arm of the Ministry of Labour,
the role of DGMS is to act as a watch dog to see that the mine management
comply with the statutory provisions relating to occupational safety
and health in mines. DGMS officers make periodic inspections to make
sample checks. Keeping in mind, the limited resources available by
way of inspecting officers and associated infrastructure, it is humanely
impossible for them to ensure compliance by management at all times
and at all work places.

Q.6. If DGMS is not responsible for
accidents, then what is the need for having a regulatory agency at
all?

A: Whenever DGMS officers, during
the course of inspection or enquiry, detect an urgent and immediate
danger to life and safety of persons, an order prohibiting work is
immediately issued in accordance with the provisions of the Mines Act.
Each such order, in effect, prevents an accident. In other cases, whenever,
a contravention is noticed, an action is initiated which could be punitive,
retributive or corrective in nature. The role of DGMS in mining industry
and in ensuring safety of workers is of paramount importance and more
so in the context of globalisation of economy.

Q.7. What is the staff strength of
DGMS and what is its jurisdiction?

A: The DGMS organisation at the apex
level is headed by Director-General based at Dhanbad in the Jharkhand
State. He is assisted by seven Deputy Directors-General (DDG) in Mining
discipline and one Deputy Director-General in Electrical discipline.
For administrative convenience, whole of country is divided into six
zones and each zone is headed by a DDG. Each Zone is further sub-divided
into 3 or 4 Regions. Each Regional Office is headed by a Director of
Mines Safety. Each Director in-charge of a Regional Office is assisted
by 2 to 3 Deputy Directors. All technical officers in DGMS are appointed
through UPSC and are at least graduate engineers in Mining, Electrical
or Mechanical Engineering. At the entry level, each officer also has
at least 7 years experience of working in the Industry. In addition,
officers in Mining Cadre are also required to possess First Class Managers
Competency Certificate (Post Graduate Statutory qualifications for
managing a mine).

The DGMS has a total sanctioned strength
of 167 technical officers/Inspecting officers at different levels.
Of these, 15 to 20% of posts remain vacant at any given time due to
time lag in recruitment etc.

The jurisdiction of DGMS extends
to whole of India upto the limits of Territorial waters in all types
of mines  coal mines, metalliferous mines, stone quarries and
Oil mines (Oil well drilling, exploration and production).

Q.8. In the circumstances, what can
be done to bring about improvement in the standards of safety.